A person who engages in sexual activity in exchange for money; can also mean to use one's talents or abilities in a degrading way.
From Latin 'prostituta,' the past participle of 'prostituere' (to expose publicly, to put forward). The word literally meant 'to display openly' before it acquired its modern meaning.
The word 'prostitute' originally meant 'exposed publicly' in Latin—it referred to standing someone in public view, which is how the profession was historically organized in ancient cities, showing how the word's etymology traces the actual history of the practice.
Historically criminalized and stigmatized disproportionately as female, obscuring male sex workers and perpetuating moral hierarchies tied to women's bodily autonomy. The term conflates commercial sex work with moral degradation.
Use 'sex worker' to center labor and agency; distinguish between coerced trafficking and autonomous work.
["sex worker","escort","commercial sex worker"]
Sex workers' rights movements, led largely by women and LGBTQ+ people, have reclaimed language and fought for decriminalization and labor protections.
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